Mr HORNE (10:30 PM) —It is interesting that the Minister for Forestry and Conservation is in the House this evening. I was interested to listen to the Prime Minister and the Treasurer in question time today trying to justify their never, ever tax—the tax that Australians voted against at the last election, the tax they do not want but the tax they are going to get: the GST. Try as they might, the government will not dispel the rising wrath against the GST because—

Mr SPEAKER —Order! I am sorry to interrupt the member for Paterson, but there seems to be some misunderstanding in the House. I thought the member for Paterson was rising, not surprisingly, on the regional forest debate and for that reason called him. The matter before the House is the Regional Forest Agreements Bill because the adjournment debate has been negatived.

Mrs Sullivan —Mr Speaker, we voted no to the minister's question, which was that the question be put forthwith.

Mr SPEAKER —I am reassured by the Clerk that my ruling was in order. The question that was put was simply that the House do now adjourn, and we agreed that the noes had it and that the House was not moving into the adjournment stage.

Mrs Sullivan —The minister moved a motion that the question be put forthwith without debate. We understand that we negatived the motion that the minister put and so were moving straight into the adjournment. That was certainly the intention of the House.

Mr SPEAKER —I will rephrase this. I proposed the question that the House do now adjourn and that question was put forthwith without debate and was carried in the negative. The House is not currently in the process of adjourning; the House is in the process of considering the Regional Forest Agreements Bill.

Debate interrupted.